Published

WHEE!

“There are three basic good practices for an election: a national system of voting, clear rules that are decided in advance, and an honest broker to decide disputes,” said Therese Pearce Laanela, senior program officer at IDEA, who has advised governments in 14 nations on how to set up an electoral system. “Botswana follows them. What’s so surprising is that the U.S. still doesn’t.”

Regardless of which legal team carries the day, I think everyone can agree: the electoral system is broken.

The parties have polarized to the point where the members of either deny the others legitimacy. “How can normal people vote for the other guy?” Neither Bush nor Kerry were able to deliver a clear mandate in the classic term – a platform and a candidacy that reached out beyond the stalwarts of either fringe to make a case to change anyone’s mind.

Sadly, I could have written this post three days ago. So we don’t actually need elections any more. Good thing, because apparently they don’t work. Whee!